AllMovie

Wisely choosing to let the victims of abduction, mutilation, and torture tell their stories in a quiet, straightforward manner, this docudrama about severe military repression in Argentina is moving because of the power of its presentation. Director Werner Schroeter mixes real-case scenarios with historical vignettes and the story of little Gabriel, an orphan who somehow survives. A quote cited from the governor of Buenos Aires sums up the kind of government that ruled Argentina for so long, and how it dealt with its opponents: "First we kill the subversive elements, then their sympathizers, then their henchmen, and last of all the weak." Hitler did not say it better, just differently. For anyone unfamiliar with Argentina's modern history, this excellent docudrama will come as a shock.